Guiding Star Doulas
What is a Birth Doula?
While your partner is an irreplaceable support person that provides love and security, he or she has not likely had training regarding birth support, medical terminology, and physiology. The same is true about your mother, sister, or best friend.
Your care provider may not able to stay with you throughout the course of labor. The same is true for nurses or birthing assistants. While many care providers would love to be able to spend more time with you, they are typically caring for multiple mothers at once and are simply unable to give each their undivided attention. Additionally, their primary focus is your medical health (as it should be!).
A doula has invested time in developing a relationship with you, is professionally trained, and remains with you, providing emotional and physical support, through your entire birth!
Studies have shown the effects of having a doula present for your birth include:
- shorter labors with fewer complications
- reduced rates of intervention and augmentation, including the use of forceps, pitocin, epidural, and Cesarean-section
- more satisfaction with partners and the birth experience
- less postpartum anxiety and depression
- better breastfeeding outcomes
- reduced cost of obstetric care
What is a postpartum doula?
After having a baby, you NEED support more than ever!
Your first 6 weeks after giving birth should be spent resting and focusing on your new baby! This can also be an emotionally stressful time with the current demands placed on moms in our society and the shift in hormones in the body after giving birth!
While this support is common in other parts of the world, here in the USA we have lost the custom of this much needed care! You worked hard being pregnant and birthing your baby. Now is your time to bond with your baby and establish good feeding routines. Sleep will be an adjustment for you with a waking newborn at night. You shouldn’t have to worry about taking care of anything else!
Someone to take care of you, the mom!
While you may have many visitors arriving to see your new baby, you may not have any support actually getting the things done you need!
If you are a first time mom, you will appreciate assistance learning how to care for a newborn whether that be with breastfeeding, changing a diapers, soothing a fussy baby, or giving a bath!
This is where the valuable service of a professionally trained postpartum doula comes in!
Trained in infant CPR, breastfeeding and bottle feeding skills, baby wearing, general infant care, calming techniques, healthy food planning & cooking, organizing baby’s room, planning schedules & guest lists, light house cleaning, preparing relaxing baths and teas, and more!
The postpartum doula is there for you, the MOM, and can also help with the adjustment of siblings with new baby if you already have other children!
A professionally trained mom specialist and newborn care specialist all in one!
- 1-2 Prenatal appointments to plan your birth (including a birth preparation guide)
- 24 hour on call support beginning 2 weeks before your due date and up to delivery
- Continuous Emotional, Physical, and Informational support throughout the labor and delivery as well as 1-2 hours after
- 1 postpartum visit with birth doula to recap birth and process any changes to birth plan
- 10 hours of in-home support with a postpartum doula
- A detailed birth story
Total Doula package investment: $1500
Financial assistance is available through the Labor of Love Doula Program. To apply, please email info@guidingstarsiouxland.org. At Guiding Star Siouxland, we believe that all moms deserve the birth of their dreams, and we never want finances to be a barrier!
Meet Our Guiding Star Siouxland Doula Interns
Tricia Van Wyk CLD, CLC
Certified Birth Doula and Lactation Specialist
My name is Tricia Van Wyk and I live in Sibley with my husband and 4 dogs. We have 3 grown children and 2 Grandkids. I am a RN and I’ve been a nurse for 32 years and have worked in labor and delivery. I am a breastfeeding counselor and I am getting my doula certification through A Woman Who Serves. My passion has been in labor, delivery, and breastfeeding. My goal is to give the couple the knowledge they need to help guide them through a safe birth experience. I can help support and help guide them through this exciting life changing experience. I am available for home, hospital, and birth center deliveries.
Makayla De Jong, RN, BSN, CLD
Certified Birth Doula
*Se Habla Espanol
I live in Boyden, Iowa with my husband, son, and pets! I graduated from Northwestern college with my bachelors in science of nursing. After starting to work as an RN and getting some experience of labor and delivery, I knew that I had a passion for women’s health and wanted to find ways to get more involved. I took my doula training with DONA International and recently finished the number of births attended to complete my certification! I am open to home birth, birth center, and hospital birth. I’m here to support couples through one of the most transformational experiences in life!
Tana Van Gorp
Birth Doula Intern
Olivia Rozeveld
Birth and Postpartum Doula Intern
I live in Orange City with my husband, and our 2 young children. I believe that early postpartum is one of the most transformative times for new mothers. I am passionate about supporting women through birth and the beautiful postpartum time period and all that goes with it; the good, the bad, and the really (really) hard. No woman should have to do any of it alone! I am looking forward to continuing to learn all I can about supporting women and families through pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and their breastfeeding journeys
